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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049707">Love Like Metal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER/pseuds/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER'>TheNobodyofaSOLDIER</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Awkward Flirting, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Snow, Snow and Ice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:40:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049707</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER/pseuds/TheNobodyofaSOLDIER</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One shots for "Fullmetal Alchemist!"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alphonse Elric/Reader, Edward Elric/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Little Bird</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Alphonse x Reader]</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me; may I get a loaf of bread and that block of cheese over there?”</p><p>“This? Here?”</p><p>“Yes, please!”</p><p>“Not a problem!”</p><p>It was the same routine every afternoon, yet it still remained in your heart as your favorite part of the day. The young, cheerful lad came up, purchased the same food for his brother, thanked you happily and departed. Though you could not see a single change in expression behind his armor, you sensed the smile in his voice, the optimism that surged throughout his entire being. You deduced that he was not much older than you, but his presence, especially for those meeting him for the first time, was overwhelming. However, each time he waited for his turn, you kept an eye on him: you could barely count how many times you saw him on his knees, petting a little cat, a puppy or even conversing with children, fascinated with his appearance. His laugh echoed within the metallic framework, sending goosebumps along your arm. He often stared into the sky and watched the birds fly by. Despite that monstrous aura, he handled these delicate creatures with care you thought never existed. While other around him passed by, focussed primarily on their daily lives, he always stopped himself, taking in his surroundings, paying attention to those often ignored, little aspects of every day life.</p><p>The more you watched him from afar, the more you grew to like this armored stranger.</p><p>With each visit now, you added a little surprise to his order. Sometimes, you gave him a slab of fresh meat, a slice of fish, a small container of water. He always stored it within his hollow abdomen. Recently, he returned your favor. As he handed you the according payments, he slipped in a white blossom he picked before coming into town or a polished, colored stone he located and cleaned himself. Whenever you asked him what they were for, he would always stumbled back a little, rub the back of his neck, and mutter softly,</p><p>“I just saw this and thought you would like it! Th-that’s all!”</p><p>You could perfectly visualize the blush tainting his face.</p><p>The same as always, he gently placed the money in your lovely hands. However, you saw no flower, no pebble, no little trinket to accompany. The light on your face dimmed, and your heart sunk. Perhaps he forgot? But, still, you handed him the bread, cheese and extra meat in the brown sack. Maybe he would notice? No, why would he? It was not as though you had any special relationship with him.</p><p>But, if only he knew how happy his visits made your week...</p><p>After taking the bag from you, he remained in place. Then, he glanced around as if to make sure no one was watching. You tilted your head.</p><p>“Is something the matter?” you asked.</p><p>“Ah, well, you see, uh,” he lowered his head, rocking from side to side and rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>How could this walking suit of armor still manage to look so adorable?</p><p>“I brought you something,” he pointed at the shell of his stomach. “But, I’m not sure what you’d think of it.”</p><p>Your eyes widened, and a grin threatened to split your cheeks. “Oh?”</p><p>He approached the rim of the display again turning his head to check for nosy bystanders. Slowly, he opened the cavern at his midsection to reveal a tiny bluebird, nesting at the center. It twittered upon seeing the light of the outside world.</p><p>“I found him on the side of the street,” he explained, voice trembling ever so slightly. “My brother hates it when I bring animals, so,” he stopped and turned away from your gaze. “You seem like such a nice person. I-I-I thought maybe you would like to have him. I-I-I mean, I couldn’t just-”</p><p>Breaking his train of thought, you lightly placed a hand on his cold, broad shoulder, a sweet smile gracing your features. You made your way around to stand before him with no boundaries. For a moment, you gazed up at him silently, inwardly marveling. It did not matter how many times you saw him, but this boy’s presence, the voice of a kind, pleasant lad, somehow attached to this grotesque shell, never ceased to amaze you. The situation seemed impossible. His mere existence crossed the lines of normality.</p><p>And yet, here he stood, and you thanked whatever occurred that lead him to you.</p><p>With a giggle, you took the little chick in your hands. He sung at the contact, fluffing his wings.</p><p>“H-He broke his wing and as you can see,” the boy managed to force a nervous laugh. “My hands are too big. If you want to release him, that’s wonderful. B-but, I thought you might,” his voice trailed off.</p><p>Keep the bird cupped in one palm, you placed the other on his cold cheek. You could hear a tiny gasp reverberate along the walls of his burnished skeleton.</p><p>You could only imagine how cute his face would be.<br/>
“What was your name again?” you asked.</p><p>“M-me? Oh! I’m Alphonse,” and there he was, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>“Alphonse,” the name was silk to your lips. “Thank you, Alphonse.”</p><p>You already memorized so much of him just from these short encounters, but even you couldn’t see the joy the future held for you just from that quick exchange and the gift of a little bird.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Given and Denied</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Edward x Injured!Reader]</p><p> </p><p>“There, that should do it.”</p><p>“Stop tugging at it, Edward.”</p><p>He chuckled, eyes glinting. “Hey, you don’t want the automail falling off, do you?”</p><p>You scoffed, the sharp breath lifting a strand of hair. “Yeah, but your constant yanking hurts like hell.”</p><p>His thumb lightly brushed over the rim of the metallic arm. “Well, at least that means those nerves are still working.”</p><p>You lowered your gaze to the grass. “I guess that’s better than nothing.”</p><p>Carefully cradling your arm, Edward bent your arm from the elbow, making sure the joint suffered no catches. You watched him, his nose slightly wrinkled, his golden eyes narrowed with concentration. You could not help but smile a little, not from amusement but simply from the love and admiration you hold for him. He had always been serious minded in regards to his work, even as a child. Seeing him like this brought back happy memories of the Elric brothers teaching you the ways of alchemy.</p><p>Growing up all these years with him, you heard nothing but tales of the Philosopher’s stone and facts about alchemy. Even when you and Winry decided to wander and play on your own, you still absorbed those pieces of information, that strong curiosity growing more and more. It took very little time for you to finally build the courage to ask them for their teaching.</p><p>They accepted the challenge, Edward especially, with greatest of enthusiasm.</p><p>It took grueling hours of work and toiling for you to truly understand the mechanics of the science itself. They helped you every step of the way, and soon, you were able to work on your own. You loved it. You never felt so powerful in your short, little life. The more your practiced, the more you improved. As you aged, and you continued to grow physically, mentally and emotionally, so did your abilities as an alchemist. Soon, you were ready to set your goal as an alchemist of the state.</p><p>It seemed as though the fates planned it all too differently than you imagined.</p><p>Slowly but surely, you worked your way into becoming a state alchemist, unlike the brothers, being the prodigies that they were, having been accepted immediately. You felt no jealousy towards them. After all, with talent like theirs, the state would have been stupid not to accept them into their ranks. You, on the other hand? You still failed to decide whether or night it mattered. Either way, you reached your intended goal, and once again, the Elric brothers accepted you into their little world. Despite Edward’s missing limbs and Alphonse’s new body, they had not changed. They were just as you remembered. You spent every waking minute together, so it seemed. They shared their knowledge with you. You exchanged stories amongst each other. You joked and mocked coworkers in secret.</p><p>It was everything you hoped it would be.</p><p>It was not until the appearance of the Homunculi that you were denied these privileges any further.</p><p>The fates turned against you as they shoved you into an unexpected encounter with one of them. Which one it was, Greed, Envy, Lust, you cared not to remember anymore. It was all a blur in your mind. But, you distinctly recall your mind completely shutting down, allowing only instincts take over, your heart beating so fast, you were sure it would burst. You remembered a moment in which your feet seemed glued to the floor. You could neither run nor fight, just stand there your air passageways to clogged, you couldn’t even muster one breath.</p><p>Then, you felt it: a burst of sudden energy, adrenaline fueling you to survive. You shouted. You screamed so loud your felt went raw. You gathered every bit of strength you could to conjure some weapon to fight. It could have been something stupid in your hands like a toothpick or a piece of bread and you still would have fought.</p><p>Before you even processed what occurred, you collapsed to the ground. A strange stinging and ache shot throughout the entirety of your body, yet you felt no urge to cry. With the loss of blood, your heart slowed, fighting to keep you alive, fighting to keep your blood circulating. Your eyes dimmed and flickered, while your ears muffled every sound of the outside world.</p><p>Suddenly, everything went black.</p><p>It seemed like a century passed by when you finally awakened. Your eyes muscles strained at the appearance of the cheerful sun, greeting your return. Every part of you was like led, pinned to the bed.</p><p>At least, almost everything.</p><p>You turned your head to find your right arm completely missing, the only part remaining being a stub, covered in a thick gauze. For a second, you didn’t even realize it was gone. In fact, you were so exhausted, you weren’t sure what exactly you thought at first.</p><p>It was as if just the tiniest movement, a twitch or a blink, was a hefty burden for you to process.</p><p>Then, it hit you.</p><p>Your arm, your precious right arm, was gone.</p><p>You were handicapped, crippled.</p><p>You were a freak.</p><p>Finally, the door to your emotions break free, and all you knew to do was sob.</p><p>Thankfully, someone heard your cries, someone who understood exactly what you currently undergoing. The door to your room creaked open. Soft pools of gold observed you for a little while, and a heart, one that loved you for so many years, ached for you.</p><p>And at last, when you decided to lift your bowed head, you finally saw him, the man you were so hoping would come to you.</p><p>Wiping your face with your sleeve, you managed somehow to force a weak smile.</p><p>“Hey, Edward,” you whispered, voice trembling.</p><p>Since then, he never left your side, unless his duties required him to do so. He held you in his arms when you needed to cry. He told you everything going on with the outside world. He still somehow, even with your seemingly hopeless situation, brought a smile to your face. At night, he slept in the chair closest to your bed in case you needed him.</p><p>You were so certain you loved him as much as your heart would allow, but after these weeks with him, you found yourself latching onto him completely.</p><p>You were certain you almost wouldn’t survive without him.</p><p>He had become your lifeline, your guardian angel.</p><p>Overtime, after your shattered emotions had been pieced back together, Edward took you to his hometown, your hometown, where you reunited with Winry. Just as she had done with Edward, she created a special arm composed of automail, a light, sturdy and flexible metal. It wasn’t flesh and bone, but it was better than nothing.</p><p>You could remember so distinctly lying on that table, connecting the new limb to those broken nerves. You couldn’t even describe the pain. Sharp? Burning? Aching? An overwhelming mixture of all the above? You were thankful they gave you a piece of wood to bite down on to prevent your shrieks from traversing over the entire town.</p><p>But, he stayed at your side. He gripped your hand until the discomfort subsided, until you could breathe again. When all was said and done, you managed to look at him with blurred eyes, sweat dripping down he contours of your face. Lightly cupping your face and lip trembling, he whispered with a smile,</p><p>“You did it. You’re gonna be okay.”</p><p>Despite the lingering aches, you believed him.</p><p>For whatever part of life was denied to you that night, it was given back through his love, replaced tenfold with him at your side.</p><p>“Ah, there we go,” he said, gently placing your arm in your lap. “No kinks, no hint of rust! You’re good to go!”</p><p>“Ah, thanks so much!” you lightly rubbed the joint. “That was getting almost dangerous in battle.”</p><p>He nodded. “The slightest malfunction can claim your life in the heat of battle.”</p><p>A twinge pricked your heart just for a moment. “Right...”</p><p>With a slow sigh, you laid back in the crisp clean grass. The breeze cooled the throbbing skin around your arm. Granting you a gentle smile, Edward rested against his arm, bending close to you. Your gazes locked, soft and full of love. Delicate fingertips brushed aside pieces of hair threatening to tickle your eyes. Then, he leaned in to press his lips against the corner of your mouth, his hair brushing against your cheeks. Such a tender gesture, yet one that set your heart racing with joy and excitement.</p><p>“Edward,” your voice was no louder than the breeze.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>You took a finger of silver pushing behind a lock of his yellow locks behind his ear. “You knew I loved you, right?”</p><p>A soft chuckle resounded  in his throat. Taking his own arm of metal, he intertwined those burnished fingers and interlaced them with yours. “I did. And I love you, you moron.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes. “Good job ruining the moment, you doofus.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” he pursed his lips and flipped his hair dramatically. “I am the epitome of romance!”</p><p>“Yeaaaah, keep telling yourself that.”</p><p>Catching you off guard, his free hand reached for your waist, tickling you mercilessly.</p><p>“Edward! Knock it off!”</p><p>“Take it baaaack!”</p><p>“You’re just proving my point right here!”</p><p>“Take it baaaaaaack!” his voice was obnoxiously sing songy. Adding to his assault, he covered your neck with kisses.</p><p>“Damn it-!!” your voice cracked in between fits of laughter. “Okay, okay! I give!”</p><p>However, instead of releasing you, he pinned you back again, and encircled your mouth in a soft kiss. You froze a moment, allowing the warm, tingling sensations to process and spread through you. What more needed to be said? Parting lips just slightly, you breathed into the kiss and laced your arms around him, both your artificial and your real.</p><p>Life had denied you both joys and given you suffering in return.</p><p>Nonetheless, as you lay here in the sunlight with your childhood friend and sweetheart, immersing each other in your love, you realized that life gave back something that was worth it all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Romancia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>[Edward x Tall!Reader]</p><p> </p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>You didn’t respond. Your fingers remained far too occupied with the little project set before you.</p><p>“Hey, come on. I’m freezing my ass off out here!”</p><p>You couldn’t ignore this fact. As your nimble digits worked within the white patches, they reddened and peeled from the sheer bitterness. Thick flakes falling against your face attempted to distract you from your work but such a feat could not be accomplished. You knew Edward was not one to be patient, especially in the midst of discomfort, but you were known to ignore him especially when his complaining escalated to high volumes.</p><p>“What could you possibly be doing that’s so important that I have to come out here?” he grumbled, tightening his coat around his shivering form.</p><p>“Almost done,” you assured him.</p><p>“You said that fifteen minutes ago.”</p><p>“Really, I swear I’m almost done.”</p><p>You continued to mold and sculpt, utilizing the ice and snow. Edward strolled about, the snow and ice racking beneath him. You always loved being outside whether blazing hot or biting cold. When working so long and hard indoors, you took every opportunity you could to step out and breathe in the fresh air.</p><p>Your lover and childhood sweetheart however felt completely the opposite. Was it because he was a workaholic that just wanted to stay inside all the time? Was it because he just wanted to remain inside doing nothing but improve on his alchemy? Was it because he wanted to chat with his brother and coworkers?</p><p>None of those reasons fell under the bottom line.</p><p>Ultimately, he just hated the discomforting wind that practically gnawed his face and the deepening snow that made him feel shorter than he already was.</p><p>You were always taller than him. While he stopped growing a little too early for his liking, you continued in your vertical growth, sprouting like a shoot. You knew well how awkward it made him feel. When you stood next to him, he stood on his toes as long as the little muscles and tendons would allow him. He wore shoes with taller heels. He straightened his spine and raised his head when you were around. On the other hand, you wore the flattest of shoes and slumped as long as your aching back would allow. As you aged and your feelings for him expanded, you feared that he would resent you for this difference in height. To you, it didn’t matter that much while someone dared mention the word short or shrimp in Edward’s direction found themselves flattened in the ground. You lost count of how many hours you spent at night, counting the grooves in your ceiling, fretting and worrying over this very matter.</p><p>Obviously, that hindered nothing. He confessed to you proudly how long he loved and cared for you, while standing on a rock, of course. Without another word, you caught him in your arms, spinning around and around until he finally demanded that you put him down. Such actions only made him feel small and helpless.</p><p>Your relationship blossomed from here on out. You loved each other deeply, and you were confident in his love. You knew one would do anything for the other. You went out your way to help or cheer up the other.</p><p>But, naturally, because of the difference in stature, stares from bystanders and strangers follows your path. Often times, Edward was too lost in his thoughts to even notice them-until he caught whispers of his own height. After which, he gave them tongue lashings that were sure to leave them quivering with terror. Although you were proud and even a bit amused that he stood up to those who dared judge you, you couldn’t help but notice hints of guilty lurking within you. You held each other higher than your own lives, and those on the outside only spoke of the awkwardness in height. Not than anyone else mattered, but how could you not notice?</p><p>Still, you persisted on. You only grew closer as the days continued, and you both never thought you could possibly be happier.</p><p>Of course, this little snow challenge left little to be desired on Edward’s side of the spectrum, but that was only a mild annoyance. You just smiled until your creation was complete.</p><p>“Look!” you cheered, folding your dry hands beneath your chin.</p><p>“Ugh, it’s about damn time!” he grumbled and shuffled over to you. “What is it?”</p><p>After kneeling beside you, you presented your masterpiece. Two miniature snow men stood upright on their stone foundations. One was a great deal shorter than the other but his stick arm was held proudly in the air.</p><p>One corner of his mouth tilted upward and a golden eyebrow raised. “Is that...you and me?”</p><p>You suppressed a giggle and nodded. “It was hard to get some of the details but...,” your voice trailed off, and you promptly ended it with a shrug.”</p><p>“Well, I think they look quite nice,” he chuckled and patted your shoulder. “Good job, babe. Now can we go inside?”</p><p>With a roll of your eyes, you agreed, stood up and stretched your stiff and cold limbs. Before you started the journey back, Edward clasped your wrist in his and pulled you back towards him.</p><p>“Hey, don’t you think you should get a little prize for your creation?” he said with a wink.</p><p>As he wrapped his arms around the small of your back, you draped your arms over his shoulders.</p><p>“I’m not opposed to that,” you said with a wink.</p><p>His golden eyes melted as he reached for your mouth, now drying and cracked from the freezing weather. It was slow and rhythmic, and the heat made your entire face tingle. More importantly, it made your heart soar with delight. When you separated from, believing him to be finished, he only grabbed your hair, crashing them back in place. Though caught off guard, you immediately latched your arms around him, kissing him back with that same eagerness.</p><p>You may have hit a few bumps in the road to reach this point. You may have caught a few confused stares from those around you. You may have brushed away your own concerns. But, in the end, the only thing that mattered was the love you both shared, the love that remained steadfast in the face of every challenge you faced.</p><p>In the end, it was all you needed.</p>
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